2.2 Core B - Research Training/Education Core Program Leads Core B has three components: Undergraduate Health Disparities Research, Graduate Health Disparities Research, and Health Disparities Undergraduate Curriculum. Each ofthese Training and Education Programs is led by a faculty member. 2.2.1 Undergraduate Health Disparities Research Training Program - Lead: Rudy Ortiz, Ph.D. Dr. Ortiz will be chair ofthe Committee for Undergraduate Health Disparities Research and lead the efforts on developing the process for solicitation, review and evaluation of student applications, provide mentorship for students engaged in the program, ensure the quality ofthe research experience forthe student, and coordinate research seminars and group presentations. Dr. Ortiz is an Assistant Professor of physiology and nutrition at UC Merced. Dr. Ortiz was the PI of the flrst large-scale nutrifional and health assessment survey study of high school adolescents in the Merced Union High School District, demonstrafing his exisfing collaborafion with a community partner in the high school district in addition to his ability to contribute to the proposed COE. Dr. Ortiz is also a recognized mentor and collaborator of the UC Santa Cruz MHIRT (funded by NCMHD) that is intended to promote the advancement of underrepresented minority students in biomedical and behavioral research. Dr. Ortiz has contributed to the UCSC MHIRT program since 1997 when he was a MHIRT fellow and has also been infimately involved in the training of undergraduate students within this and other NIH training programs at UCSC. Dr. Ortiz has a long history of training undergraduate students, especially those from minority groups, and serves as a mentor for students at the annual conferences for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the American Physiological Society (APS). As a product ofthe various NIH training programs (MBRS, MHIRT, MARC) and because of his extensive involvement In these programs. Dr. Ortiz has a strong understanding of the requirements for developing and implementing a successful undergraduate research engagement program. Thus, Dr. Ortiz is ideally suited to serve as Lead for the Undergraduate Intensive Health Disparities Research Training component ofthe proposal. 2.2.2 Graduate Health Disparities Research Training Program - Lead: Andy LiWang, Ph.D. In the COE Dr. Li Wang chairs the Committee for Graduate Health Disparities Research and will lead the efforts on developing the process for solicitation, review and evaluation of graduate student applications, provide mentorship for graduate students engaged in the program, and ensure the quality ofthe research experience for the student. He will oversee 20 graduate fellowships, working with a committee to develop a process to review applicants. Andy LiWang is the Founding Director of the Health Sciences Research Institute at UC Merced. As the Founding Director of the HSRI, Dr. LiWang's major objecfive is to solidify UCM's position as a leader in human health research. Research at HSRI will in part address the significant health problems prevalent in the Central Valley with the aim to reduce the disparities in health experienced by many residents in this area. Such populafion health examples include: obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases; risk behaviors in adolescence and young adulthood (e.g., tobacco use, eariy sexual acfivity); effect of hepatitis C infection on liver disease; and asthma. As Director, Dr. LiWang is establishing core facilifies within HSRI, securing funding from public and private agencies for long-term self-sufficiency, and organizing member laboratories into interdisciplinary research teams to tackle complex health issues. Dr. Wallander is the co-Director of this emerging institute and Dr. Pallavicini is a member. Addifionally, since arriving at UC Merced from Texas A&M University, Dr. LiWang has been the Chair ofthe Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program. His goal is to have a self-sufficient, well-funded Ph.D. program that provides graduate students with rigorous training, attaining a high level of accomplishment in research and scholarship. As Chair, Dr. LiWang seeks to raise the QSB Graduate Program to national prominence, attracting top talent at the graduate, postdoctoral, and faculty levels. Dr. LiWang Is also a recognized expert in the biochemistry of circadian clocks, and runs a productive research program at UC Merced funded by the NIH. 2.2.3 Health Disparities Undergraduate Curriculum - Lead: Jan Wallander In this role Dr. Wallander will lead a working group of faculty in the construcfion ofthe Health Disparifies minor, including the development of syllabi to include learning outcomes and WASC criteria (metrics, assessment plan, etc); seek approval from all three schools. Undergraduate Council, and other requisite university approval processes; as well as seek broader faculty input. This group will also develop a teaching plan for delivery of courses. Dr. Wallander's background Is described In the Co-PI secfion above. 2.2.4 Community Research and Engagement - Lead: Steve Roussos The research, training, and educafion acfivities ofthe COE will require active engagement with the community. As the Community Liaison Lead for this COE, Dr. Stergios (Steve) Roussos will be responsible for developing and facilitating research and training projects that create interactions between the COE and community-based organizations and inifiatives. He will work closely with the Pis and Training/Education Leads (Ortiz, Li Wang, Wallander) to identify and enhance existing and establish new components for curricula both on- and offcampus. Dr. Roussos will lead training and support activities to prepare community agencies and leaders for effective engagement in research and teaching activities. Dr. Roussos will provide on-campus support to the project chair ofthe EAB. He also serves as a member ofthe Health Disparifies Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the lAB. He brings broad experience as an instructor for public health methods and programs, culturally and linguistically appropriate intervenfions to eliminate disparifies in health and health care, and research methods in community health and development. Dr. Roussos is a researcher and educator for community health and development, specializing in behavior change at the community and organizational levels. His current work aims to understand and improve how health and human services and collaborative partnerships contribute toward eliminating health disparities, especially among persons with limited English proficiency. Dr. Roussos has been recognized for his practical and effective methods of helping nonprofit agencies implement evaluation to directly improve service delivery. He has over 17 years experience in research and community development in both academic and community settings. A guiding principle of his work is to ensure meaningful and sustainable collaboration between community and academic partners to address issues that matter to local communities. His projects span many health and human services topics (e.g., tobacco, HIV/AIDS, foster care, cancer, diabetes, tutoring, literacy, workforce development), with special emphasis on serving minority and under-represented ethnic communities and cultures. He leads evaluation and research teams through the San Diego State University Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health (CBEACH) and through the Alliance for Community Research and Development. He has co-founded and led community-based organizafions to support health disparities research including Healthy House within a MATCH Coalifion, the Community Partnership Alliance, and the Community-University Research and Action for Jusfice.